A Night with My Hero
by Miss Maudlin
Summary: DISCONTINUED Goes into the mind of Zelda as she is disguised as her alias Sheik. Watching and being with Link causes love to bloom unexpectedly, but that must be kept secret until that fateful day when she can reveal herself as the Princess of Hyrule...
1. A Night with My Hero

_A/N:_

     I've been inspired AGAIN! LOL I was playing a little OOT Master Quest tonight, and then it just came to me! [inspirational music plays] YES! HOW MAGICAL! WEEEEEEEE!

Disclaimer: Gad, how many times to I have to say it (or write it?)? I DON'T OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA! (like that wasn't obvious)

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**_A Night with My Hero _**

    As I watched him from the treetops, shadows covering my existence, I felt my heart stir with something foreign, yet appealing.

     Link sat and meticulously cleaned his sword, while his horse Epona stood close by, whickering occasionally. His blonde hair had a tendency to fall in front of his eyes, and he would push it away absentmindedly. His little fairy Navi sat on top of his head and was surprisingly silent. I watched this man for a time, doing these simple tasks, as I sat in the treetops above him.

     I pondered whether or not I should show myself, but I decided against it. What was I to say, that I had only come for some sort of companionship? That would most certainly appear odd, especially since I was supposed to be a man to Link, not my true female self.

     And that true female self of mine was stirring underneath this careful disguise and alter-ego called Sheik. I felt enraptured by this man Link, as if he had captured something of myself and would not set it free; and, truthfully, I did not want him to let it go. So brave and heroic. So handsome and caring. That was Link, this man appointed to be the Hero of Time, a title he never wished for in the first place. The greatest never desire to be great, I mused.

    I sat back against the hard trunk of the tree, my knees pulled to my chest. Staring at my purposefully bandaged hands, I desperately wished I could discard this disguise and simply be myself. But that would fool-hardy – and deadly. Not only would I be literally giving my enemy my head on a metaphorical platter, I would be endangering Link. And that was something that no one, not even I, could afford.

     I sighed inwardly and closed my eyes. As I listened to the soft whispers of the breeze, I also heard Link stir below me. Opening my crimson eyes, I watched as he peered about the area. He readied his sword as if in preparation.

     "Watch out, Link!" Navi cried, flitting near his pointed ear. "It's Moblins!"

     Suddenly, a pack of pig-like warriors came charging through the once serene forest, their stampede crushing the undergrowth and causing the ground to literally shake. They came straight at Link, all at one time. Moblins were not particularly talented at one-on-one combat, but they possessed great strength in numbers. Most likely because they were too stupid to do something without the aid of another.

     I watched this from above, debating whether or not to join in the fray. Link could usually take care of himself, like he was doing now. He slashed at the big warrior lugs with ease that seemed Goddess-given, their cries sounding like hoggish squeals as they fell.

     As Link slashed at one Moblin to his left, another came from the right, blocking the blow. The one at the left slashed at Link's ribs; he barely escaped the blow before being slashed on the right shoulder. Crying out in pain, he finally felled both of the offending Moblins, but more were still coming.

     That was enough evidence that I should come to his aid. Nimbly climbing down the tree, I aimed one of my deadly poison darts at a Moblin neck; it fell without even a cry. I knew Link had finally seen me, but he was too much involved to give a salutation, which of course was understandable.

     I unsheathed a dagger and sliced a few throats in the process. Warm blood spurted onto me, but I ignored the offensive liquid. After what seemed like ages, the Moblins had been defeated, their pathetic carcasses littering the forest floor. I yanked my poison darts out of a few necks before I sank to my knees, panting.

     "Thank you for your help," Link said casually. "Although I don't know if it had been needed."

     I looked to him and saw him holding his wounded shoulder, his brow creased in pain. Standing up, I replied, "You're welcome, I suppose."

     "Link! Link! You're bleeding!" Navi exclaimed, hurriedly fluttering around the circumference of Link's head in worry.

     Link shrugged, but then grimaced at the slight movement. "Yes, well, I'll survive," he grumbled. "Don't get yourself into a dither, Navi."

     I came forward, also worried as the silly fairy. At the moment I was actually glad for the stifling cowl wrapped around my face, for I was sure my expression was completely un-Sheik-like. "Let me look at it," I said indifferently, as if speaking of the weather.

     "There are bandages in the saddle bags." Link sat down while I retrieved the needed supplies from the bags hanging from Epona. I patted the mare absently; it was clear that she was a bit unnerved, but she nickered a little in supposed thanks at my administrations. I smiled beneath my cowl. Going to Link, I sat myself down behind him. He had already stripped himself of his green tunic, his back red with blood.

     Link swore when I began cleaning the painful gash in his shoulder, and I softly apologized. His back was littered with old scars and wounds; I felt, to my astonishment, my eyes water slightly. He had received these blows all because of my own stupidity. I sniffed a little, and directed my thoughts to here and now.

     The gash was large enough that it needed to be stitched closed. I threaded a needle and began suturing it, while Link tensed at the pain. I closed it as quickly as I could; when I finished, I bit off the thread and placed the bloodied needle onto the ground. Wrapping the tender wound with a clean bandage, I made certain that it would not bleed through before I said, "You're done."

     Nodding, Link peered at his shoulder before standing up. "Thank you," he murmured while picking up his bloodied tunic. He replaced it with another and gently pulled it over his golden head. Buckling his belt, he said, "Would you like to stay the night? It'll be dark soon."

     And, indeed, Link was correct. The sun was swiftly setting beneath the horizon and in only an hour or so would night come upon us. "Yes, I would," I replied, feeling my cheeks warm at the kind offer. How could I possibly not refuse to stay with this man for a little while longer?

     Link nodded. "Let's go a little ways from this place before we settle down. I don't particularly desire to spend the night with pig corpses littered about me. Not to mention that they smell something awful." He waved a hand in front of his nose, causing me to smile and restrain myself from laughing. Sheik was a person who rarely laughed, unlike the once carefree princess I had been. Saddened slightly at that thought, I followed Link silently as he led Epona into deeper reaches of the forest.

     By the time we had found a suitable spot, it was twilight. Link tied Epona to a nearby tree and began to rub her down after taking off her saddle. Looking to me, he asked, "Could you go look for some firewood, Sheik?"

     I nodded and left without a word. As I discovered some branches and twigs to burn a little ways off, I found myself constantly looking back to Link, as if yearning for him in some unknown way. When I was alone I had a tendency to fantasize the day when I could uncover myself and show him who I truly was, the Princess Zelda of Hyrule. He would be shocked at first, but then with a cry would gather me into his strong arms and tell me that he had been so worried about me.

     It was then that this would usually turn into some kind of kiss; I had difficulty with whether or not this should be a sweet peck on the lips or a full frontal assault on the mouth. Usually going with the latter, my cheeks would soon be burning – like right now.

     "Sheik!" I jumped at the sound of his voice, causing the wood to fall onto the ground. I swore silently at my girlishness – would I never learn? "Sheik? Have you found any good firewood?"

     "Yes! I'm coming!" I called in response, making certain that my voice was unnaturally low. "Just a moment!" I quickly came back into his presence, the wood in hand.

    Standing before me, his head cocked to the side, Link peered at me oddly, a question in his eyes. Eventually he took the wood from me, the supposed question flitting into the breeze like dandelion fluff. "Thanks," he said slowly.

     "Uh-huh." We soon settled down onto the ground; Link quickly produced a suitable fire and began to boil some water in a little kettle.

     "So…how have you been, Sheik?" Link asked, trying to make conversation. "Haven't seen you for a couple of weeks."

     I shrugged. "Around," was my cryptic answer.

     Link chuckled. "Always informative, aren't you? I suppose that comes with the territory of being a Sheikah. Must be hell for the women, ay?" His eyebrows rose suggestively.

     I blinked and found my face flushing. Praise Goddesses for that damn cowl. "Yes, well, I suppose," I muttered. "Wouldn't really know."

     As Link began to stir a few leaves into the boiling water, he asked, "You mean to tell me you've never had a woman, Sheik? What, are Sheikah celibate or something?"

     "Obviously not since there still seem to be some around," I answered dryly. Silence for a moment; I eventually asked, "Might I ask the Hero of Time his experience with women? Since you seem so adept in the subject…"

     To my great amusement, Link turned bright red. "Well, you know…" he coughed. "I donno know…"

     I smiled conspiratorially beneath my cowl. Hedging delicately for answers, I asked, "What about the Princess Zelda? I heard from some unknown sources that you had taken a fancy to her…"

     Link looked up at me, his eyes wide. "Really? Who told you that?" His eyes quickly darted to the ground. "I don't even know if she's alive."

     I felt my heart flutter at his obvious worry over my safety. "You don't know if she's dead, either." When Link glared at me, I added, "It's true. I'm sure she's quite safe, though."

     The man before me sighed longingly; for a brief instant I saw him for what he truly was: exhausted behind belief in both spirit and body. That was soon covered, however, with his usual heroic self. "I think about her all the time," he whispered, "as if I'm in love with her or something."

     "Are you?" My cheeks burned.

     "How could I be in love with a woman I haven't seen for seven years?" Link countered, eyeing me with what seemed to be anger. His face fell slightly soon after. "I dream of her constantly."

     I was silent while that sentence went 'round and 'round my head like the windmill in Kakariko. He dreamed of me…

     "She's always so beautiful, like a Goddess."

     He thought I was beautiful…

     "I miss her, Sheik."

     He missed me…Looking into his eyes, I said confidently, "You'll see her again, Hero, I'm sure of it."

     Link's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

     I smiled. Of course I'm coming back to you, I thought silently. How could I not…? "Yes, really," I answered.

     He smiled happily. "If you say so."

     Don't worry, Link, I will always be here watching over you…as Sheik, until one day I can finally be Zelda again…

    But I will never forget this night that I spent with you, my Hero.

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     WEEEEEEEE! Another plotless one-shot (that might be continued…)! And I would like to say that I was writing this before Midnight*Starfire posted her own Sheik fic! I swear! LOL Well, review…! ^^


	2. Poisoned

_A/N:_

I have decided to write more plotlessness! (everyone is sooooo excited…) I've also boosted the rating a bit just b/c I plan to have this end up as a bit more…mature (?). Whatever. Anyway, thanks so much for all the reviews! Reviews make me muy happy! 

Disclaimer: Just like school sucks, I don't own Zelda! YEY!

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**_Poisoned_**

I left before Link awoke, not desiring to say good-bye aloud and to see his caring eyes upon me. I knew if I had stayed I would not have been able to leave.

Link was my anchor in a world that possessed no security – a tide that would pull me under if I did not have his existence to cling to. Everything in my country was chaos: people were been mercilessly slaughtered, losing sons and fathers, daughters and mothers. And there was nothing I could do but wait. Wait until Link accomplished his quest and defeated Ganondorf. Until that time, I could only aid him so much.

Grief and shame were ever-present within my heart, weighing it down with the strength of gigantic boulders. Sometimes I wondered if I would lose my sanity one day, finally feel a release of not knowing, not having to care anymore. Not having to struggle between two existences: my true form and that of my male alias.

The day advanced as I quickly and silently made my way through this forest, slinking like that of a wild cat, my footsteps undetectable. I listened and heard nothing but faint rustlings of leaves and branches. This left me uneasy – it was too quiet.

Something was coming.

It was upon me swiftly, before I could even unsheathe a dagger. With a cry I was slammed onto the ground; the breath rushed out of me and I struggled to fill my lungs with even an ounce of air. The creature crushing me snarled and dug its claws into my shoulder. To distract the scream that was quickly forcing itself through my throat, I stabbed the creature in its eye. It fell away, whimpering and snarling simultaneously.

I readied my bloodied dagger against what I knew now was a Wolfos; unfortunately it was too dark to utilize my poison darts. I had only to wait a moment until it charged me again, even fiercer than before. I slashed at it with all my might, drawing a spurt of hot blood. With a howl it sunk its fangs into my left forearm in retaliation, and then collapsed onto the ground. The Wolfos lay there, breathing shallowly and bleeding to death.

I held my own bleeding arm and panted, desperately trying not to scream at the pain. Slowly I approached the creature and with the last ounce of mercy within in me I sliced its throat, despite wanting to let it suffer. I could not be so cold, however; I would be no better than my enemy.

I staggered away from the bloody carcass and walked blindly for a time before collapsing against a tree trunk. Burning tears fell down my face, to my complete shame, as I searched through my pack for water and a piece of linen to wrap my wound. With a cry I ripped away the fabric clinging to the injury and began washing it delicately. It was a difficult task considering that I could barely see through my own tears and that the pain was more intense than I'd have anticipated. With a sudden horror I felt that my arm was going numb and that I could not even flex my fingers.

I'd forgotten about Wolfos poisoning, I thought groggily. Their fangs literally dripped with a venom that would slowly and painfully kill a man by disintegrating his insides and bleeding to death internally. I began panting and trembling in absolute horror and fear for I possessed none of the anti-venom.

Then I did the only thing I could think of: I ran.

I ran toward the direction of Link, the only way to my salvation. In all reality I staggered and jogged blindly despite wanting to sprint with all my might. That was quite hard to do when my arm was going numb and other parts were burning with an unseen fire. I was sobbing now, sobbing to the Goddesses' to spare my life.

As I fell into oblivion, I prayed that Link would save me.

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I woke to a soft voice, but it wasn't calling my name. It was calling another's for some odd reason. Blearily I swatted at the offending sound, mumbling that it should shut up and stop saying some strange man's name into my ear. Then I heard it laugh, but it was strained.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw through a blurry haze a man sitting over me. I could barely make out his features, except for his eyes, which were as blue as the sky at twilight. I reached a hand up to touch his cheek for a moment before clarity came to my mind.

Hastily taking back my hand, I groaned as the memories returned. Wolfos, poisoning, running…pain… Oh Dear Goddesses Above the pain came back and was like an inferno within my arm and even throughout my entire body. I could barely breathe, it felt, and my left forearm felt as if thousands of knives were stabbing into it. As a result, I began to cry.

A small voice in my mind was screaming rather loudly that what I was doing was certainly not manly behavior, but I retorted that I was not blubbering helplessly, just…crying. The man above me, who I knew now was Link, looked concerned and tried to remove my cowl, but I pushed his hand away. "No…no…" I muttered, my vision blurring again.

"You'll be alright," he soothed quietly, touching my burning forehead. I shivered as chills ran through my body; Link covered me in a rough saddle blanket and tucked it under me. As I crawled beneath its minimal warmth Link added, "I gave you the Wolfos anti-venom, Sheik. It was a miracle that I found you so soon, or you would have died. But you'll recover now."

The name Sheik resonated within my mind and its memory forced me to end my tears. I bit my lip, hidden underneath my cowl, until it bled slightly. I could not let Link see me so, I thought. What would he think of a supposed man who cried at the littlest pain?

Link left my side, then, but came back quickly. In his hand was a small vial filled with a purple liquid. "To let you sleep," he murmured as an explanation. Obediently I allowed him to administer the medication into my dry mouth; I grimaced as the bitter liquid slid sluggishly down my throat.

As sleep was quickly enclosing me I felt as I was floating in the air. The pain was there, but not so close as before. When the blackness was upon me, I heard a soft voice say, "You'll be alright. I promise."

Then I knew nothing.

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I was gonna have this end in a cliffie, but then I decided not to. Aren't I nice? Yeah, you don't have to thank me. XD So if you want to know what happens next in this plotless story, then you better review! K? GREAT! X3 

FF.net is evil b/c now they won't let me indent or put asterisks as markers or anything! I'M MAD! GRRRRRRRRRRR!


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